EDITION: August - October '09

DJ AWARDS

Cila Warncke

The DJ Awards will be held the 24th of September at Pacha, Ibiza, is a celebration of the joyous craft of DJing. The DJ Awards is an international event but, like the International Music Summit, calls Ibiza home because of the island’s historic connection with dance culture. Nominees are selected by a panel of industry experts including journalists, promoters and producers, and the winner is decided by public vote. Among the nominees for the 12th Edition of the DJ Awards are some of dance music’s biggest names including David Guetta, Sven Väth and Tiësto, as well as breakthrough talents like Deadmau5, Jamie Jones and Nick Curly.

It is the 12th Edition of the DJ Awards this year – how does the reality of the last 12 years match up to what you imagined when you conceived the awards? Our feelings are twofold. When we began we anticipated it being a small local event, but we also envisioned it gaining global recognition. To our delight we feel we have achieved a balance – keeping the distinctive character of the Awards while growing as an international event.

The theme of the Awards this year is Dreams – what does that mean to you? Dreams are the fabric of unhinged creativity, they spawn arts and philosophy, culture and music.

Ibiza is a great place to play but it can be hard to work here, how do you handle the challenges of putting on a major international event like the DJ Awards? This is very true, but between Pacha, which is home to the award ceremony, and the Activate PR team we feel we’re in the best possible hands.

The island has changed a lot in the past 12 years, how has that affected the DJ Awards? Our categories and nominees have changed to reflect the evolution of music in Ibiza. For example, there was no “Cocoon” 12 years ago but now it is an island phenomenon.

How is the role of the DJ changing, now that technology means anyone can DJ or produce in their bedroom, and share their music instantly online? The role of the DJ hasn’t changed, but ability to access an audience has. Now all you need to be a player is talent, time, guts and luck.

How do you choose the nominees and what criteria do you use? The nominees are chosen through several panel selections. The initial suggestions are discussed and evaluated based on their impact in different sectors of dance culture and industry.

What is the best moment of the Awards for you? One has got to be the cocktail party at Ocean Drive before the ceremony at Pacha. You can feel the electricity in the air as everybody is gearing up for finale – and anxiously waiting to see who will win!